Theodore b



(No Modem T. B. WILGQX.

ELEUTRIGAL EYE 011?.

No, 551,880. Patented Dec. 24, 1895.

ANDREW EGRMMM.PNUTDMTIIQIASNINGTUNDS.

UNITED STATES PATENT QEEIGE.

THEODORE B. WILCOX, OF NEYVARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ELI BALDWIN, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRICAL EYE-CU P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,880, dated December 24, 1895.

Application filed January 10, 1895. Serial No. 534,434. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE B. WILCOX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Eye-Cups; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a therapeutical appliance in the form of a cup for application to the eye or other part of the body. The said cup is preferably of insulating material, such as hard rubber, and carries electrical circuit-terminals either connected with a battery outside or forming, themselves, the elements of a voltaic pile or battery-cell. Oombined with this device may be a holder containing medicinal salts or some other medicating compound. In practice, I apply the terminals either to the sides of thecup in such a position that they can be touched by the fingers of the hand, or to the edges of the cup where theywill come in contact with the body at the part-say the eyewhere the cup itself is applied. sponge or other absorbent medium, saturated with some medicating compound.

My invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is an elevation showing opposite sides of an eye-cup constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom view showing the interior of the cup with a sponge inside the same. Fig. 3 shows an elevation of the cup when a separate battery is used. Fig. 4 is a detail view, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation, of the cup with an attached medicating appliance, the latter being shown partly in section.

A is an eye-cup preferably of insulating material, such as hard rubber, and shaped at its edge so as to fit over the eye. The method of applying it is to take it in the hand and hold it in such a position that the eye is within the hollow of the cup. At the outer end the cup is formed into a screw-threaded hub to receive a holder B containing medicinal salts or other medicating compounds. On the outer walls of the cup at opposite sides I Inside the cup I may place a arrange electric circuit-terminals which may be the elements of a voltaic pileor batterycell. In Fig. 1 these terminals appear as rings of copper to a, with smaller rings of zinc b 19 secured in contact with them by means of screws 0 cof iron or other metal. The groups of metals so placed constitute the elements of a battery, which when put into proper condition by the contact of the moistened finger of the operator generate a current which finds its way through the body of the user. A copper'strip d leads from each of the copper rings to a metallic ring 6 at the base of the hub. This practically couples the battery elements in multiple, at least so far as the copper is concerned.

In Fig. 2 I show the copper and zinc elements arranged upon the flattened or broadened edge of the cup, as will be clearly seen. Inside the cup in this figure is a sponge S, which is adapted to receive and hold a suitably-prepared medicating mixture.

Fig. 3 shows the arrangement when an outside battery is employed. The battery is shown at O with circuit-wires o 0 running to terminals i t on the exterior of the eye-cup. The wires are suitably insulated and at the outer end of the cup run through eyelets p 19, supported upon the ring e. As a safeguard the said ring eis preferably split at both sides and has insulating material 7' inserted to insure the insulation of the wires. The terminals t t are preferably of copper, but they maybe of any good conducting material other than copper. Then this form of eye-cup is used the current pass ing through the person of the user comes from the battery 0. It is manifest that the terminals referred to may also be arranged upon the edge of the cup where the said edge is flattened or broadened, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

WVhen the circuit-terminals in either form of eye-cup are arranged upon the edge of said cup the current passes through that part of the body which immediately surrounds the eye or through the eye itself or through such other part of the body as a cup similarly fitted out is applied to. This brings me to say that while I have described specifically an eyecup I may fit a cup or appliance to some other part of the body in a similar way.

It should be stated that the hub at the outer end of the cup is hollow so as to permit the vapors from the holder B to enter the cup and perform their medicinal office upon the eye or other part of the body.

What I claim is 1. The combination with an insulating eyecup, of one or more electric generators supported upon the said cup.

2. An eye-cup for application to the eye, the same carrying adjacent metals of different character adapted to constitute battery elements.

3. An eye-cup for application to the eye, the same carrying adjacent pieces of zinc and copper adapted to become the elements of an electric battery.

4. An eye-cup for application to the eye, the same carrying overlapping rings of different metals, the inner ring being arranged to overlap the outer one and being secured in place by a screw traversing both the inner ring and the insulating material of the cup.

, 5. An eye-cup for application to the eye, the same carrying rings of zinc and copper, the inner ring overlapping the outer and being secured to the cup by a screw of iron.

6. An eye-cup for application to the eye, the same being shaped to rest against the skin of the user at the edge of the cup, in combination with a pair of diiferent metals mounted upon the said edge, whereby a current of electricity will be generated about the eye, when the eyecup is properly adjusted.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name, in the presence of two witnesses, this 20th day of November, A. D. 1894.

THEODORE B. WVILCOX.

Witnesses: I

CHAS. L. BELCHER, CHARLES H. GATLIN. 

